What the filing covers
Robotic charging arm that physically couples to an autonomous EV only after multi-sensor verification of vehicle identity, port alignment, and safe-state, producing a signed coupling-event record bound to the charging session. I filed this because digital authorization cannot make the physical charging connection. The robotic arm couples only after multi-sensor verification of vehicle identity, port alignment and safe-state. Those checks precede the physical action. A signed coupling-event record then ties the connection to the charging session.
Why it matters now
An account can be authorized while a vehicle's port is still out of alignment. A robotic connection needs attention to both identity and physical conditions. The vehicle's state also matters at the point of coupling. Recording the event connects the actual connection with the charging session it serves.
A real-world example
Imagine an autonomous vehicle arriving at a charging position. The arm needs to connect with the vehicle's port. Before coupling, the system checks the vehicle identity, the alignment of the port and the safe-state. Passing one check alone leaves the other conditions to be addressed.
I put verification before the physical connection because the arm acts at the vehicle. Identity concerns which vehicle is being served. Alignment concerns where the port is relative to the connection. Safe-state concerns the condition required for that action. The coupling depends on those checks together.
Now consider the record of the session. A plan to connect and an actual coupling are different events. The signed coupling-event record binds the physical connection to the charging session. That gives later examination a record of the connection event rather than only the authorization to begin charging.
Where it applies
This work applies to autonomous EV charging and robotic charging equipment. Wins Parking EV and robotaxi charging and Recharged are the associated uses. I focus on the point where a software-directed charging operation becomes a physical connection.
For an operator, I would separate the visit into questions about permission, timing and coupling. The vehicle can have permission to charge and a place in the schedule while the physical connection still needs verification. Those conditions deserve attention in their own right.
The dwell scheduler addresses the available time. Roaming addresses participating providers. Service-readiness certification connects service evidence with the next mission. The robotic connector addresses the coupling between the charging arm and the vehicle, including the checks before it and the signed record tied to the session afterward.
Used in: Wins Parking EV and robotaxi charging · Recharged
Status
U.S. provisional patent application, filed May 1, 2026; Status: Patent Pending; Sole inventor: Ross D. Blankenship; Assignee: Wins Parking LLC.
Provisional applications establish a priority date; they are not examined.